1901 Grand National

1901 Grand National
Grand National
Location	Aintree
Date	29 March 1901
Winning horse	Grudon
SP	9/1
Jockey	Arthur Nightingall
Trainer	Bernard Bletsoe
Owner	Bernard Bletsoe
← 1900 1902 →

The 1901 Grand National was the 63rd renewal of the world-famous Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 29 March 1901. The race was run in a howling snowstorm and was won by the 9/1 chance, Grudon. ^[1]

Leading Contenders

Grudon was among the leading contenders on the day but with the weather conditions being what they were, most of the trainers and jockeys knew that the race would be reduced to little more than a lottery. Trainer Bernard Bletsoe hit on the idea to pack Grudon's hooves with butter in the hope that this would prevent snow from clogging in them. ^[2] It is not recorded if any of the other trainers followed this example but it worked as Grudon, a horse who was not rated that highly by his rider, Arthur Nightingall set off without any difficulty while most of the other competitors struggled. Legend has it that Nightingall became so confident that he hacked around most of the second circuit alongside Algy Anthony on his struggling mount Covert Hack until leaving his rival behind with the words "Well I must be going now so ta ta" ^[3]

Media Coverage and Aftermath

Arthur Nightingall gave credit to his victory to the genius of owner-trainer Bletsoe for having the foresight to prepare the horse with butter as he was convinced the horse would have come to grief without the preparation. Of the race he said, "My orders were to let Grudon run his own race and I found myself laid up with the leading division, never out of the first two or three. Indeed Archie [Algy] Anthony [Covert Hack] and I enjoyed a long and animated conversation for the most part of the journey. It was with a feeling of regret that at last I was obliged to say goodbye to him about a mile from home. "Ta ta old chap. I must push on a trifle faster or the cupboard will be bare when I get there, and wouldn't disappoint old mother Hubbard for the world." "The only mistake he made came 200 yards from the winning post when he jumped a footpath across the course and gave me a bit of a shock."^[4]

References

↑ http://www.sportsbookguardian.com/horse-racing/grand-national/winners
↑ Sporting Life Souvenir Magazine, 4 April 1987, page 22
↑ http://www.lavendonconnection.com/1901_Grand_National.htm
↑ My racing Adventures, Arthur Nightingall, Published by T. Werner Laurie, London, undated, early 20th Century

Grand National

Races by year	1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 ~~1941~~ ~~1942~~ ~~1943~~ ~~1944~~ ~~1945~~ 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Course	Aintree Racecourse Becher's Brook Canal Turn The Chair

Famous horses	Aldaniti Battleship Corbiere Crisp Devon Loch The Duke E.S.B. Foinavon Golden Miller L'Escargot Lord Gyllene Lottery Peter Simple Red Rum West Tip

Famous jockeys	Jack Anthony Martin Becher Tommy Carberry Bob Champion Richard Dunwoody Brian Fletcher Dick Francis Josh Gifford Bruce Hobbs Count Karl Kinsky Jem Mason Tony McCoy Tom Olliver Ernest Piggott Richard Pitman Ruby Walsh Fred Winter

Other people	Peter Bromley Ginger McCain Vincent O'Brien Michael O'Hehir Peter O'Sullevan Jenny Pitman Fred Rimell Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Lord Oaksey Lord Sefton

Lists	List of Grand National winners List of Grand National first four placings List of equine fatalities in the Grand National

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